A COLONIAL ROMANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1398, 4 November 1886, Page 3

A COLONIAL ROMANCE.

{Otago Daily Times.) There la a young man just now returning to the colonies from Holland, bringing with him as strange a story as can well be imagined—a story which would not be tolerated from the pen of a novelist of the period, because “ these things do not i happen nowadays, don’t you know.” i Romance finished with the days of Queen 1 Anne. The s'ory had perhaps better be t started at Dunedin, as our closest point i 1 r-f interest. A young lady, then—a Miss i Goultman —engaged as a retoucher at Mr i Morris' photographic establishment in George street, e countered some year or so ago a young gent'eman whom she was 1 minded, after due solicitation, to accept I as her husband. The young g.ntleman’s i name was Hooghklimmer, and ha was a i Dutchman, but a good fellow for all that, ’ and held a position of trust in the office ] of the Singer Sewing Machine Company 1 In Melbourne. The happy pair were duly 1 united, and lived in Melbourne well and prosperous. But trouble stalked behind ] them. One eventful morning in March ! last Mr Hooghklimmer disappeared and i was seen no ’ more. He had betaken ( hima If to a neighboring beach with his i cameta (he was an amateur photographer,) and beyond the discovery cf his cl thing, which occurred some time afterwards, no | trace was obtainable of the missing man ] The beach was at Frankst)n, near Mel- < bourne, a pUce t lerably well frequented; I and although a reward of £SO was offered, no remains were recovered and no clue to- i the mystery was for;booming, l-emark— ; generally net very complimentary remark ' —is always occasioned by tepid exits of . this kind, snd it is not surprising that the j moat p : quant and discreditable rumours ] shon'd have been sflrat concerning the dissappearance of Mr f oeghkhramer. The i Melbourne detectives were set a: work i and the fact that, (he missing man’s life 1 was insured for £2OOO in the National 1 office did not sweeten his memory in the 1 nostrils of the public. Matters looked 1 black ; the insurance mcn r -y was not paid, J l the presumably widowed girl returned recently »o her friends m Dunedin, where ] she met wi h deep and read} sympathy ( for her misfortune. It most be remarked ( at this stege that .be books and documents , under Mr Hcoghklimuier’s care had been promptly exam,tied, and that everything was found to be absolutely correct. So much for the first act of the drama ; for the second act we have to seek the experiences of Mr Hooghklimmer himself, who is said to be now returning hither, victorious over the slings and arrows of a most outrageous fortune. From the t Hooghklimmer narrative it appears that the hero of all this trouble rose betimes on the March morning in question, and informed his wife of his intention to start I for the beach to take photographic views He got hlmssif and camera under (way, 1 caught the train and arrived at his destination ; but but by this time the sun had risen in its strength, and the amateur photographer yearned towards the pellucid ( waves. He stripped, concealed his clothes and camera discreet y in the scrub, and 1 swam seaward. On returning to effect a * landing he observed that his strategical ! position was occupied by ladies, and the r e ' was noth'Dg for it but a temporary retreat 1 seawards again. He retreaied, but the tide, which was about on the turn, re- | treated with him, and to his dismay he j found himself unable to regain the shore. £ At. this critical juncture it seems he f -II , in wi h some friendlj plinka lashed to- , gether lafiw s’, and endeavored with their j support to make port again But he s was weak ani ti.-rd ; the sun was nearly at its meridian, and he con'd i make no progress. In the last stages of ■ exhaustion he managed to throw himself ! across the planks, where he lost conscious ness and found a sunstroke—a very severe • one, too. There were a couple of vessels, it seems, which left Melbourne that day , homeward bound, and one of them espied , the castaway a r d picked him up. He ; was then raving in delirium, and was carried to England, and as he showed no symptoms of recovery, was placed in htspital. After a time it vies noticed by i the authorities that he raved in an unknown tongue, and that tongue being identified as either Dutch or German, he i was shipped across the Channel and j , found lodging at a small hostel in the Low Countries. The name Hooghklimmer, which was frequently upon his lips, led to the establishment of his Identity, for his mother and an uncle of the B<me name wore residing within a measurable distance, and by them he was recognised and claimed. Under their care Mr Hooghklimmer recovered his health and memory, and recalled the fact that his last impressions of this planet we T e those of a despairing man drifting slowly out one fine summer morning frem the Ylctorlan coast into eternity. Cablegrams have since passed to transform the sorrowing widow into the expectant wife, and the friends who have lavished their sympathy upon Mrs Hooghklimmer now surround her with their congratulations. A few weeks will bring back to her her husband and her hero—sound mentally and bo lily, for it maybe remarked that Mr Hooghklimmer was never one who allowed " hot and rebellious liquor to assail his blood." The reunion wifi bo ra tonally and romantically perfect; and fhe couple are fortunate, in spite of their misfortunes, for few rsgo-comio dramas have so happy an ending.